The present invention relates to disposable container lids commonly used in take-out fast food restaurants. The primary purpose of the invention is to prevent spillage of the liquid while transporting the container.
Most fast food restaurants dispense their take-out cold drinks in containers having a straw hole in the center. These holes allow liquid to splash out while carrying the container or while transporting it in a car. The liquid squirts out if pressure is put on the lid of a full container. The spillage in a car can cause ugly and unhealthy food stains. Ants and bugs thrive on such stains in pile carpets.
Hot drinks like coffee are usually dispensed in containers having snap-on lids with no holes at all. These lids do a good job of preventing spillage until one is ready to drink. Removal of the entire lid is necessary to drink the contents of the container. This approach can be a disaster in a moving vehicle. First it takes two hands to remove the lid. This is not practical for the driver of a vehicle. Second, an open topped container with a hot liquid inside a moving vehicle presents a danger to the occupants. Severe burns can occur from spills caused by stops and turns. These spills can even contribute to distracting the driver enough to cause an accident.
Several disclosures provide for a reusable heavy duty container lid having a closable slot. These devices provide help from spilling for the professional traveller. They require constant washing to prevent a health hazard. They are not really practical for a family of two adults and four children spontaneously stopping for hamburgers, soft drinks and coffee while returning from shopping, or eating in the car en route to a movie.
The present invention provides a solution for the occassional soda or coffee drinker who drinks in the car. One hand can slide the container lid stopper to the open or closed position. One embodiment is suited to insert a straw for drinking. A second embodiment uses a larger hole in the lid which allows drinking directly from the lid. This invention is constructed from the same material as a conventional, disposable lid. Thus, it offers simplicity and low cost to the container manufacturers selling to fast food take-out restaurants. This invention fills the gap between a simple straw hole and a reusable closable container lid.